 SHERE KHAN Male Bengal/Siberian
Tiger
DOB 12/20/94
Shere Khan stole our hearts when we saw him on 3/12/95. Though he was bred
to be a White Tiger, he was born “the wrong color.” His birth was
a result of the incessant demand for White Tigers by a public that is fascinated
by oddities. Though many people believe that the White Tiger is an “endangered” species
that should be bred to be saved, this is a total lie. The White Tiger
results from a color mutation that happens infrequently in the wild and usually
is not passed along. White animals in a forest environment would not live long
due to their inability to hide and sneak up on prey. When you hear the
phrase “survival of the fittest,” remember that nature does not
allow the genetically mutated White Tiger to survive in the wild nor should
we in captivity.
Shere Khan did not have much of a chance for survival from the start. His
breeder had pre-sold him as a white cub, but the purchaser kept putting off
his delivery date. He finally cancelled the sale when Shere Khan was already
four months old. The breeders were left with a quickly growing cub on their
hands and no other facilities for him other than a small carrier. He was up
to his belly in feces and decaying food in a pet taxi that seemed to just bust
at the seams with tiger fur.
He never got the vitamins and exercise he needed as a growing
cub, so his back legs were badly underdeveloped. He was very sick for a long
time and suffered major problems from calcium deficiency. X-rays showed that
his baby canine teeth were rotting in their sockets from his malnourishment
and they had to be excised because they had rotted through his face. His bones
were mere paper shells and one wrong jump could easily break a leg. We supplemented
him three times a day with calcium to encourage healthy bones and teeth.
Shere Khan is a perfect example of why people should not be allowed
to have such animals as pets. Though he is now well over 800 pounds and
the picture of health, it has been a long, expensive road getting him to this
healthy state. His 3-acre cat-a-tat provides him with plenty of room
to run through the marsh and swim in the spring-fed lake. He has been neutered so
that there is no "accidental" breeding with his constant companion
and playmate China Doll. He is well loved by all.
The facility that bred
him was finally shut down by USDA and the Indiana DNR in 2005. Read more HERE. |
